A Strike of Insanity
by Psychowriter14
Summary: Late Halloween One-Shot. "Malice in a Mind" Alternative Version! Rated for Character Death... :'-(


Hiya! I know what your saying,

"Psycho, it's not Halloween anymore. Your late!"

Yeah.. I had some things going on this week involving schoolwork. _

So... enjoy my One-Shot horror for Halloween!

(By the way, if you haven't read "Malice in a Mind" I suggest reading that before reading this. It'll make more sense then. ^_^)

AAAAAAHHHHH! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Screams echoed through the room as Masamune Kadoya was startled awake, cold sweat running down the sides of his face, terror surging through his veins. Nightmares, again. For the eighth time this month. And it was always the same one.

The one that involved HIM. The one who Masamune would never expect to do something so horrifying to another.

It was always the same thing, That person would always murder one of his friends, and then come after the Striker Blader.

And just as he was about to be killed, he'd wake up.

Masamune knew that the person in his dreams would never harm another, even if he was angered, which didn't happen often.

That person was Tsubasa Otori.

However, even though that was true, the Nightmares were so vivid that he was afraid of going back to sleep.

He never told of his Nightmares to anyone, not Toby or Zeo, not even King for that matter.

The only time he could get any sleep was by napping during the day, so he could be away from the dark grasp of the shadows.

But even then, his subconscious was continually tormented, fear beginning to take over his mind.

Masamune whimpered, tears streaking down the sides of his face, widened eyes darting around, looking at every dark corner of the room.

Paranoia began to clutch at the edges of his mind. Shadows lurched and moved in his peripheral vision, routine natural noises becoming distorted and echoing within his mind, as adrenaline surged through his shivering form.

This wasn't healthy.

His mind was slowly breaking under the horrors of his subconscious mind, things that no one should ever have the slightest thought about chipping away at him.

He was beginning to crack.

"Masamune? Masamune! Hey! Wake up!" Four figures stood over the half-asleep 13-year-old.

This was becoming natural, finding him slumped over on a chair, asleep.

However, this was getting on their nerves a bit.

"Urg...hm? Oh hi guys..." Masamune said in a yawn.

"Masamune, don't you know not to fall asleep during training? This is the third time that's happened during this week! Is something wrong?" Coach Steel questioned.

"No Coach... It's just..." Masamune froze. He couldn't tell anyone about this, so he cut himself off with an (Unintentional, mind you) Yawn.

"Well... you can take a break... for only ten minutes. Then it's back to training. Got it?"

""Yawn""" Yes, Coach." Masamune mumbled sleepily.

As soon as he left, he was bombarded with questions from Toby, Zeo and King.

"Dude, is something wrong?" Zeo asked, concerned for Masamune's health

"You know we're always there for you..." Toby reassured.

"Dude, You can tell us anything!" King exclaimed.

Masamune let out a yawn, " it's nothing you guys should worry about. I'm fine.]

Toby reached out a hand to touch the Striker User's shoulder. "Are you sure? I mean, we can help-"

Masamune cut him off by shoving his hand away. "DON'T...don't...touch me. I'm fine... honestly... I'm just..." Masamune nearly spilled the beans about his nightmares, but managed to catch himself. He didn't want them to worry just because he keeps having some stupid nightmare.

"I mean... uhh... I need to get back to training!" Masamune said as he pushed past the three.

"That guy..." "wha-hey!" "Something's not right..."

Another terror-filled night. Masamune lay curled upon the floor of his room, blankets swathed around his shivering form. It was worse this time.

He witnessed another murder, and just like in his previous nightmares, Tsubasa was the one who had caused it.

And Masamune couldn't do anything about it, not just because his nightmare prevented him from doing so.

It was because fear was holding him back from preventing this nightmare in the first place.

Every horrible detail, from the brutally mutilated flesh to the sickening sound of innards being torn and ripped out was cast in vivid depiction.

He whined as he lay curled tightly upon the floor, sniffling as tears gushed from his eyes. "Just leave me alone...why wont you leave me alone..."

He hiccupped, rocking back and forth. "I don't deserve this, just stay out, stay out of my head, get out of my head... please just get out of my head!" Fear turned into anger, Masamune began beating his hands against his temples.

"GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT!" He screamed, grinding his forehead against the floor of her room, fists pounding his head, bruising the flesh as pent up frustration and sleep deprivation erupted in an agonized scream of rage and sorrow.

Another night. Another crack in the window.

Everyone had noticed it.

It was in the way he walked.

The way he talked.

His body language just screamed it.

Gone was Masamune Kadoya, that cheerful, brash blader, replaced by some... hollow shell.

He drifted aimlessly about over Metal City, as weeks of interrupted sleep had taken its toll upon him.

All of his friends knew that something was up, but none of them knew exactly what to do.

He had pushed them away when they had tried to confront him, lashing out like a wounded animal any time they tried to console him or plead him to get help.

"Too headstrong" some would say.

"Too proud" others still.

But none of them realized the graveness of the situation until that one, fateful day.

The day Masamune Kadoya finally snapped.

It had been a warm day, Everyone was out enjoying the temperate weather, from children to adults and then some, as everyone went about their business.

Gingka, Madoka, and a few others (Including Masamune, who took some convincing) were at the nearest beypark. Some battling, some not.

Fortunately, Masamune had been awake enough to participate, currently in a heated battle with King and Gingka.

Everything seemed okay for the Striker User. But then...

"Go Pegasus!"

"Variares!"

"Striker!.. "Yawn~..."

Just then, an orange blur passed by, launching a bey into the fray.

Flame Libra.

"Ha,ha! This looks awesome!" Yu shouted enthusiastically as he screeched to a stop.

And if Yu was around...

"Sorry I'm late, guys. Yu, you know not to intervene on a bey battle that's already started."

So was Tsubasa.

Masamune froze, Instantly losing his concentration.

"Nah, it's fine, Tsubasa. We're the same way, too!" Gingka said.

"Duh! Right... Masamune?" King looked at the Striker user, his face showing concern.

He was still frozen with fear. He didn't even notice that Striker was knocked out of the stadium.

A look of concern was present on everyone's faces now.

Including Tsubasa.

The Eagle user took a step towards the younger teen. But as he came closer, Masamune unconsciously took a step backwards.

"... Masamune? Are you alright?" Tsubasa asked.

Masamune instantly snapped out of it as quickly as he went into it.

"I.. Uh.. Yeah! Of course I'm fine! I just... have to..."

He cut himself off as he practically ran away, picking up Striker as he left.

Everyone looked at eachother, then Tsubasa spoke up.

"Wha... Was it something I said?"

King answered that question.

"No... he's been like that for a while... he won't tell me what's going on."

"Tsubasa, maybe you could talk to him? Your good at getting information.. maybe he'll open up to you." Madoka asked, hopeful.

"... Alright, tell him to come by my place at 5:00, okay?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Masamune approached the door, wondering why he was here.

He wanted to stay AWAY from Tsubasa, not be near him.

Needless to say, what's done is done, and he couldn't turn back now.

So, he knocked on the door.

Sure enough, Tsubasa opened the door.

"Good, your here. I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up."

He had no idea how close Masamune was to do that.

"Yawn" "Whatever, Tsubasa. What do you want, anyway?"

"I've heard from King that you have not been feeling well."

"And?"

"Well... I want to make you feel better."

Masamune raised an eyebrow in question "How, Exactly?"

Tsubasa moved from the entrance. "Come."

As the two made their way into the house, Masamune still couldn't shake that uncomfortable feeling.

"Is coming here even worth it?" Masamune muttered to himself as continued to follow Tsubasa, eventually ending up in the kitchen.

The silver-haired teen proceeded to reach into an oven.

And pulled out a tray of cupcakes.

"I made cupcakes. You want some?"

Masamune only stared in horror.

Cupcakes.

The very thing that the insane version of the person in front of him MADE his victims into.

And how his nightmares usually started.

And here it was.

Happening for real.

His Vision was becoming hazy, the Striker user stumbling back and shaking his head, whispering under his breath.

"No...no...nonoNONONONONONONO!"

He backed up, eyes wide with fear as he shook his head violently, looking around frantically for a way out, any way out.

The window?

The door?

"N-no...no, I don't want them. Not gonna l-let you...lemme out of here, LET ME OUT OF HERE!"

Tsubasa tilted his head to the side quizzically "Hm?"

He then places a few onto a plate and walked over to the other teen.

"Here, why don't you have-"

A hand lashed out, smacking the plate out of the Eagle user's hands.

"I SAID I DON'T WANT THEM! I know what you're doing, it's not going to work!" Masamune shouted, backing further away.

"... I guess you don't like avocados... That's alright. We can use whatever you like, oka-Masamune?"

He glanced back, the younger teen letting out panicked whimpering noises, eyes fixated on the young man before him, pupils nearly pinpricks as fear and adrenaline coursed through his veins.

He was pinned between Tsubasa and the wall behind him, chest heaving with heavy gasps, his sleep-deprived, horror-filled mind played the scene from his nightmares over and over again.

Of the knife rending through flesh, cutting through bone.

Run.

"Get away..."

A butcher knife piercing skin, dragging down through flesh, flaying it open like some sick sort of pinata.

Move.

"...just get away, get away..."

He was hyperventilating by now, no longer seeing a good friend, but an insane, sadistic, psychopath.

DO SOMETHING.

And then he saw it.

That shining, sharp protector, just sitting there on the table next to him.

The voice within his mind whispered to him like a seductive lover, sounding so wrong but so right at the same time.

Kill him.

Masamune hesitated.

Part of him wanted to scream.

Another, to run.

But yet another, actually considered the request.

Kill him. Before he kills you.

His mind was stirred with conflicting thoughts, the Striker Blader felt sick to his stomach, weak in the knees, the beat of his own heart pounding in his head.

Take the knife.

He stared at it.

Hand slowly stretching out, trembling as part of him still was unsure, still tried to reason.

Take it. Take. The knife.

Tears streamed down his face, as his hand hovered above the handle of the tool turned weapon, as the last strands of his sanity knew what was happening, knew that it was fighting a battle it was going to lose.

TAKE IT.

He snatched it up, holding it in front of him at Tsubasa with shaky hands, hiccuping between sobs.

"Just leave me alone...please, Tsubasa...just *hic* leave me alone!"

Tsubasa stared at the knife being wielded by his friend for a moment, before a warm smile appeared on his face as he walked towards Masamune, whose heart sank as the Eagle Blader approached him.

"Dark humor?... It's kind of funny, Masamune. I've never known you were very-"

He didn't think. His body acted on its own.

Tsubasa looked bewildered as Masamune heaved, frozen in mid-strike, the silvery blade of the knife dripping with red, life-giving essence.

Tsubasa brought a hand up to his cheek, dabbing at the wide cut, looking at his own blood-stained fingers.

"M-Masamune...wha-..."

"I told you *hic* to stay away...WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST STAY AWAY!?"

Kill him.

"N-no, he's my f-friend...I c-can't...I...I"

KILL him...and it will all end.

"P-please...T-Tsubasa...run...just run...oh god, PLEASE don't make me do this!"

KILL HIM.

KILL HIM.

KILL HIM.

KILL HIM.

KILLHIMKILLHIMKILLHI-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

What happened next was a blur, the memories fuzzy in Masamune's mind.

As Tsubasa tried to make sense of the sudden attack upon him, Masamune let out a chilling mix between a wail and a scream, catching the Eagle Blader off-guard as the blade darted forward, slashing through his neck, severing vein and artery as a gout of crimson issued forth from the wound.

A horrified expression registered on Tsubasa's face as he attempted to speak, only for a gagging noise to emit from him, blood hemorrhaging from that wound, staining his beautiful silver-white hair with the red hue of her life essence. He sunk to his knees, and slipped.

Again and again that silver blade struck out, Masamune's speed not restricted to his bey as he plunged the blade into the Eagle Blader at rapid pace, sobbing hysterically as he slashed the squirming and flailing young man.

Through skin, through bone, Tsubasa's struggles slowly faded as his blood was spilt onto the floor of the kitchen, pooling around him, splattering the young teen atop him with the hot red fluid.

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Masamune screamed out, fear turning to rage.

"YOU JUST COULDN'T GO AWAY, COULD YOU?! YOU COULD'VE JUST LEFT ME ALONE! BUT NO, YOU JUST HAD TO KEEP COMING BACK!"

Tsubasa's struggles grew weaker and weaker, his eyes wide with terror as tears streamed down his face, visage frozen in a mix of fear and anguish.

What did he do? Was something seriously wrong? Did he cause all of this? Why?

As those slowly glazing eyes stared up at Masamune, the strikes of the blade grew slower and slower, the Striker Blader finally plunging the implement deep into Tsubasa's chest, spearing through the young man's heart, ending him once and for all. A single tear slid down the Eagle Blader's face, as a last sign of life.

Masamune heaved for breath, limbs shaking as he looking down upon his handiwork.

Blood stained his clothes and hair, painting him a deep crimson, wearing the life force of his former friend like some macabre outfit.

He sobbed, letting out a wail of anguish as he realized the graveness of what he had just done.

Arms wrapped around the butchered young man, Masamune held the still warm corpse of his friend tight.

"No..nonoNONONONONONONO! I didn't...oh god, no...what have I done?! WHAT DID I DO!?"

Masamune's body shook as his chest heaved with each gut-wrenching cry of anguish, suddenly letting go of Tsubasa's corpse and letting out a ear-piercing shriek of terror as he looked at his own hands.

Blood and viscera coated them, dripping down through his fingers, the scene straight from a horror movie laid before his eyes.

He skittered backwards, slipping in the pool of blood of his own creation, slamming facefirst into the pile of gore before finally gaining purchase and dragging himself over against the farthest wall from Tsubasa's still form, his stomach mutinying on him as he emptied its contents upon the floor next to him.

His mind raced, thoughts running a mile a minute as he hiccupped, wide, terror filled eyes staring at the scene made by his own hands.

Murder.

He had committed murder.

On one of his own friends.

It was unheard of.

No one had murdered another in Metal City for years.

Voices within his mind clawed and whispered to him, the world spinning around him as time seemed to stand still for him, the last strings of his sanity being plucked apart, one by one...until that final thread finally snapped.

Hands grasped at his head, matting his multi-colored hair down with blood, the Striker Blader rocking back and forth in the blooded kitchen as a crazed grin spread across his face, humming disjointedly to himself.

"...Haha everything's gonna be alright... everything's gonna be just fine...haha...hahahahahaha! HAHAH! AHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Masamune threw his head back, curling his legs against his chest as his arms wrapped around them, psychotic laughter issuing forth from the Striker Blader as his world shattered around him, psyche and spirit broken and splintered.

o_o" I don't even...

Review?


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